Bitter leaf farmers in Umudioka in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra, have decried the rising cost of petrol, saying it is crippling irrigation farming and forcing many to suspend operations.
The farmers told CoreTruth that the high cost of fuel had made it difficult to power water pumps used for irrigation, compelling some to abandon portions of their farms and await the rainy season.
They noted that the development had also led to an increase in the prices of bitterleaf and other vegetables, worsening the burden on consumers amid the rising cost of living.
Mrs Stella Ogbonna , a farmer, said the situation had adversely affected her farming business.
“I buy one litre of petrol for as much as N1,400, which has forced me to abandon parts of my farm and concentrate on the little I can manage to irrigate,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Christian Nwosu, another bitter leaf farmer, said the hike in fuel prices had triggered increases in labour and manure costs.
“Not long ago, a full tipper load of manure cost about N100,000, but it now goes for between N150,000 and N160,000 depending on location.
“This makes it difficult for most farmers to afford,” he said.
Nwosu added that a bundle of bitter leaf currently sells for between N9,000 and N10,000, as against the usual N5,000.
He explained that bitterleaf farmers in the area traditionally rely on irrigation after the rainy season to ensure year-round production of tender leaves.
According to him, many farmers are now reducing their farm sizes due to rising costs, with some abandoning irrigation farming entirely.
Also speaking, Mrs Ngozi Okafor, an irrigation farmer in Umudioka, said she had drastically reduced her farm size due to the rising cost of petrol.
“I used to cultivate up to four plots during the dry season, but now I can barely manage one.
” The cost of fuel is too high and without water, the crops cannot survive,” she said.
Mr Chinedu Eze, another farmer in the area, said many of his colleagues had temporarily abandoned farming.
“Some of us have stopped irrigation completely because we cannot afford to run the pumps. We are just waiting for the rains now. This will definitely affect supply in the market,” he said.
In the same vein, Mrs Ifeoma Adindu, a vegetable farmer, said the rising input costs were discouraging farmers.
“Everything has gone up, fuel, labour, manure. Even transporting produce to the market is now more expensive.
We are struggling to keep our farms running,” she lamented.
She warned that if the trend continued, more farmers might quit, leading to scarcity of vegetables.
Traditionally, bitter leaf farmers in the area rely on irrigation after the rainy season to ensure year-round production of tender leaves.
